No. 129.] 535 



The celebrated Swede imported it although it is like any but a 

 rose tree, nevertheless the number, brilliant colors of the flowers, 

 «,nd their extreme beauty (the greater part of them) justify the 

 title comparatively to a certain point. This rose tree inhabits 

 the high mountains of Europe, Asia Minor, of India, and some 

 of the islands near North America, They are low small plants, 

 •some of them are reported to be poisonous and narcotic. The 

 leaves of many of the species are known to botanists and almost 

 •all of them are cultivated in gardens. Few plants can present 

 so splendid an aspect as groups of Rhododendrums in flower, 

 forming such rich bouquets with all the lively and delicate tints 

 from purple to rose-white and deep crimson, relieved by a broad 

 •and vigorous foliage of deep green. 



£ From Lindley's Vegetable Kingdom.] 



Azalea. — Botanists are now unanimous in forming it a simple 

 section of the genus Rhododendrum, and not a particular genus 

 itself. Linnaeus formed a genus of it; he is not followed by bot- 

 anists in this. Azalea does not in reality differ from Rhododen- 

 ■drum, properly called, except in the number of stamina which 

 is constantly five instead of ten, and by the fall of its leaf. 



The general name Ericacae given by Lindley in his Vegetable 

 Kingdom includes forty-two genera and eight hundred and fifty 

 species, among which are Rhododendrum, Azalea, Erica, &,c. 



Tlie Russian Traveller Pallas believed that the Azalea Pontica 

 was tlie flower from which the bees took the huney which poi- 

 soned Xenophon's army; the men fell stupefied in all directions, 

 so tliat the camp looked like a battle field covered with corpses. 



He says that the Euxine honey produces effects like the Lolium 

 Temulentum and these occur in a country where no Rhododendron 

 grows. The natives are well aware of the deleterious qualities 

 of the plant, and it is said that goats which browse on the leaves 

 before the pasturesaregreen suffer in consequence and moreover, 

 that cattle and sheep perish from eating it. 



Lindley gives to the Ericacea the plain English name of Heath- 

 worts. 



